Could you tell us a little bit about your educational background?

I graduated from UC Davis in 2020 with a genetics and genomics Bachelor’s of Science degree.

What first got you interested in the healthcare field as a career choice? There are a lot of career options in the field -nursing, physician assistant, etc., what made you decide that genetic counseling was the right practice area/career choice for you?

From a young age my passion for genetics, teaching, and helping people led me to look towards a future career that would allow me to combine all of my interests. This led me to genetic counseling where I could dive into my interest in genetics while also utilizing my teaching skills. Genetic Counseling was the perfect mixture of all of my interests.

What type of obstacles have you had to overcome on the road to getting your education and in particular in pursuing your Genetic Counseling degree?

A major obstacle that I have had to overcome was during the process of transitioning from undergrad to graduate applications. The pandemic made it increasingly difficult to push through online classes to finish my undergraduate degree. Getting a genetics and genomics degree was already difficult even before the transition online. In addition, shadowing opportunities were impossible to come by, making me struggle to boost my applications.

What are you most looking forward to about beginning your Genetic Counseling studies?

Something I am looking forward to most in my Genetic Counseling studies is being able to fully immerse myself in one of my main passions. Taking classes that solely focus on topics relating to genetics, while also incorporating classes directly geared towards genetic counseling. Also getting hands-on experience in my future field while building relationships with current GCs and future GCs.

What is one fun and interesting fact about you?

While at UC Davis I founded the MMA club which unlocked a passion for the martial arts. I have been training Jiu Jitsu since then for almost 2 years now. While I enjoy Jiu Jitsu for my athletic side, I use woodworking as my creative outlet.